Process of straightening and annealing gun-barrels



? NITE STATES PATENT A OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BAILEY, ()F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF STRAIGHTENING AND ANNEALING G UN-BARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,613, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed November 12, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Process for Straightening and Annealing Gun-Barrels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This process applies to barrels such as are known among gun-makers as black barrels, or, in other words, to those which have re eeived neither exterior nor interior finish, but are in the condition in which the rolling or forging process leaves them.

Heretofore black barrels have been allowed to cool after rolling them. Then they were packed in annealing-boxes in the wellknown way, and said boxes and contents were placed in an annealing-ovenuntil allshould bebrought to a red heat, and then cooled off, when the barrels were taken out of the boxes, and, being laid on a suitable a11vil-block,were struck with a hammer, blow after blow, at different places thereon until all of the crooks were taken out of them.

The object of this invention is to make the manipulation of the barrel continuous from the rolls to the annealing-box, whereby the heat given to the barrel to fit it to be rolled is SllffiClGlllJ to cause it to become annealed without heating a second time, and to straighten the barrel while .at its red heat between the rolling and the annealing, thereby saving largely in fuel and labor, and producing a straightened barrel of superior quality, from the fact that striking a cold barrel a succession of blows from one end to the other and upon different sides of it does not result in a permanently-straightened barrel, but after the outer hammered surface has been turned off,

(No specimens.)

more or less of the original crooks will be redeveloped, for reasons well known among gunmakers.

To carry my invention into effect, I fit up an ordinary drop hammer with a pair of grooved dies as long or longer than the barrel, and place near the drop an iron annealing-box of suitable dimensions to hold a number of barrels, in which is fine charcoal, and for which is provided an iron cover capable of being closely fitted or luted to the box. This being done, I take abarrel as it comes red-hot from the rolls, after it has been cut to proper length, and, placing it on the lower die of the drop, I let the drop-hammer and upper die fall upon the barrel. I then lift the hammer, turn the barrel partly over, and give it a second blow, which leaves it perfectly straight. hot barrel in the fine charcoal in the annealing-box, covering it with the coal, and when the box is full secure the cover thereon, as stated above. After a certain time the barrels will become cool and be annealed soft, in proper condition to be bored and turned pre1 paratory to finishing them. Thus there is no coal consumed for annealing except the charcoal.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent,

The process of straightening and annealing gun-barrels, which consists insubmitting the barrels while red hot from the rolls to one or more blows between dies, and immediately after, and while in said heated state, packing them in an annealing-box, substantially as set forth.

CHAS. E. BAILEY.

XVitnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, J. D. GARFIELD.

I immediately place the still red- 

